The Slumbering Beasts
by CrimsonHeaven
Summary: Sequel to "The Slumbering Heart" Although happy in her marriage, Tifa struggles with periodic depressions because of the growing difference in age between her and Vincent. After a shocking incident involving her family, Tifa suddenly disappears without a trace. Vincent then teams up with old friends to uncover the gruesome truth behind her disappearance.
1. Chapter 1 - Nibelheim

Chapter 1

Tifa

Finally, the dreaded day had come. It eventually had to come.

I stood motionless in my bedroom, staring out the window at the activity outside. Families rushed by, children were playing, merchants roamed about the square selling goods; it was all a normal day here in the lovely and bustling town of Nibelheim. After marrying, Vincent and I had settled in the growing community of my old home town, alongside many others who also wanted to rebuild the quaint little town to its former glory. Needless to say, I was beyond happy to be raising a family in the same place where I had grown up. But today, there was a dark veil cast over the usually idyllic surroundings that I called home.

It was my birthday. And I hated it beyond anything else.

I turned away from the window, turning my attention back to the laundry basket in front of me. I picked up the top garment and straightened it out, smiling. One of Vincent's shirts.

The past years I had barely seen Vincent at all in his usual attire, except the few times he went on missions together with Cloud. Now he only sported normal clothes and more simple garments, and the change suited him. For some reason, it made me happy. Before, it was possible even from a distance to see that Vincent was different from normal people. The combination of his stature, his rock hard expression and his rather intimidating get up saw to that. Now, he could blend into a crowd just as easy as anybody else, and he liked it.

I started to fold it as neatly as I could and put it down on the bed. As I continued the work with the rest of our newly washed clothes, I couldn't help but think of him. My husband; the father of my children.

When our daughter Luna was born, the first face she saw was her father's. She froze for a second, eyes locking with his as he held her in his arms. I could see it in his face. He thought she would cry. But Luna just stared in awe at the man holding her, before reaching her tiny little arms towards his face and pinched his cheeks. I could swear she smiled, even though they say babies that young can't do that. But little Luna did smile. And from that moment on she had been daddy's little treasure.

Four years later, our son Leon was born. He was an energetic boy with an adventurous side to him, in strong contrast to the calm and down to earth Luna. During his now 8 year long lifetime, he probably had more scraped knees and bruises than Luna would experience through all of her life. But Leon brought more life into the family and now the days were both busy and fun. Vincent had proven not only a great husband, but also an excellent father. I expected nothing less but still felt extremely lucky.

"It's one amazing man I married" I thought to myself and looked down at my finger at the beautiful ring still shimmering as if it was crafted yesterday. It was made of mythril to last and with the words "Always and forever" engraved inside it. It was hard to imagine it had been nearly fifteen years since we married. Time really passed quickly. The thought was a bit depressing however, and my emotionally weak moments had only come more frequent as the years passed on.

Today was May the 3, marking that I had yet again surpassed Vincent by another year physically.

Every year I grew older, while Vincent stayed the same, and it was beyond my power to prevent it.

Eventually, we would all pass away, leaving him behind. Needless to say, it was a fact that hurt me beyond what words could describe.

As if he had heard my thoughts, my husband came up behind me, putting his arms around my waist. His long black hair fell onto my shoulder, still damp and wet from a recent shower.

"Happy birthday, love" he said lovingly, nuzzling up against me. I giggled, trying to chase the sadness away from my voice.

"Vincent, I'm trying to fold the laundry"

I could feel his smile towards my neck and he planted a loving kiss behind my ear. Even after so long he still gave me chills to the bone.

"We finally have a moment alone" he declared, like it was a once in a decade event. It wasn't exactly wrong either. After starting a family, a moment to spend alone together was a rare treat.

"The kids won't be back before a few more hours" he hummed, voice playful.

I grinned and turned towards him. His intense red eyes told me everything I needed to know and had expected after the conversation turned in this direction. I decided to play dumb for a few more minutes, just for the fun of it.

"And?"

His eyes intensified, and I raised my hand to stroke away a few of the long, black bangs from his beautiful face. I could look at that face forever, and still never get tired from it. Vincent blinked slowly and grabbed my hand, kissing the palm. When his eyes returned to mine, they were accompanied by a gentle yet brilliant smile. I returned it with one of my own.

"After so many years of seeing you every day, I am still stunned by your beauty… It's incredible"

Without thinking I put my arms around his back and hugged him as much as I could; taking in his scent. He responded immediately and hugged me with the same intensity. The past years had indeed been incredible and had granted me so much happiness that it was nearly impossible to wrap my head around it all. I had been blessed with a wonderful husband who had in turn granted me two beautiful and equally wonderful children. There was just no topping that. But still I couldn't chase the sad thought of reality away. It felt like dying piece by piece every day.

"Thank you" I breathed and his grip tightened.

"What for?"

For some reason tears started to well up. I was never this emotional before but everything changed after I became a mother. Now I could cry over the slightest of things.

Vincent noticed the change in my demeanor and tried to pull away to look at me. I held him back however, both because I didn't want him to see my face and because I didn't want him to let me go.

"…Tifa?"

"Life with you is wonderful, honey. Still, I wish we had more time"

His gaze turned harsh and he pried me away from him, holding onto my shoulders.

"I thought I told you not to think about that"

I bit down on my lip. Saying I had ruined the mood would have been an understatement.

"Sorry, I just… I overthink sometimes. About how close my death seems when comparing a mortal to an immortal. And…"

Vincent tilted his head slightly to the side as I trailed off, not really wanting to say the words out loud. It was embarrassing.

"And what?"

"I'm older than you now"

Vincent smiled sheepishly.

"No, you're not. You're 36 and I'm 73. Rather than ashamed of your own age, you should be ashamed for dating such an old man"

His attempt at humoring me nearly succeeded. But only nearly.

"No, you're 27. And when I'm 40 you'll be 27 and when I'm 60 you'll be 27. When I turn old, sickly and frail, how can you possibly still want me as your wife?"

Vincent's gaze saddened before he pulled me into another hug. I knew it was unfair of me to throw this at him now, as we had discussed what it meant if we did get together from day one. But still, I feared for what would happen to him when we were all gone. The thought of him having to see his wife, children and grandchildren pass away before he even had turned a second older, was painful.

"You have to stop worrying, Tifa. You do this every year" he said silently, stroking my hair.

"When I said I'd take you as my wife, I didn't mean temporarily. Until death do us part, I will remain your husband. I'll take care of you and the kids and do whatever it takes to make you happy. Isn't that enough? You'll grant me a lifetime of happiness before you're even close to disappearing from this world. You already have. As for me…"

He looked away from me. I wondered what went through his mind.

"You needn't worry. I'll make sure our family will do well, until someday it is my turn to die. And then we'll be together again, all of us"

It wasn't nearly enough comfort but I knew I had to leave it at that. This was our reality, our fate. We had both chosen this and had to be prepared for what was ahead. I forced a smile, hugging him again.

"I'm sorry for being this way now, but there is nothing I'm more grateful towards than you. Thank you for this life, Vincent" I managed to look up at him. His expression was calm yet worrying.

"I owe it all to you and your love for me. Thank you for making me this happy"

He leaned down and kissed me intensely, wrapping me completely in his arms. It was where I felt the safest but also where I felt most fragile. As we parted from it, he kissed my forehead gently.

"No need to thank. You have made me equally happy, Tifa"

I smiled to myself, heart swelling. The mood was back. And we were both prepared to make the best of it.

* * *

Vincent heard the screams before I did. Before I had noticed anything was going on, he had jumped out of his seat. I looked over at him, confused.

"What's the matter?"

He shook his head slightly, listening intently.

"I think Leon is crying"

"Leon?"

He shook his head again, more violently this time.

"No, it's not just Leon. There's a commotion headed this way"  
He went over to the door, put on his shoes and went outside before I could even put down the plate I was drying off. I hurried after him, worried about what might be going on. Vincent had keen senses and when he was swayed, it was usually something serious.

When I got outside, Vincent was already standing in the town square, speaking with a group of adults. As I got closer, I saw the repulsed expressions on their faces. Something was very wrong. Then I noticed Leon in Vincent's arms. He was sobbing silently, clinging to his father. His clothes were ripped and he was covered in small splatters of blood. I reacted instantly, jumping into the argument.

"What on earth happened to my child?!" I yelled, eyes scanning the faces of the other adults to see if anyone looked guilty. But their expressions were the same; pure and utter repulsion directed at the little 8 year old in Vincent's arms. It made me swallow nervously.

"Rather than that, you should ask what happened to the other children…"

I froze. The blood on Leon came from…

"…tell us what happened" Vincent said, voice calm, before Leon noticed me standing beside him. He stretched his arms out towards me pitifully, eyes overflowing with tears.

"Mommy…"

My heart nearly broke into pieces, seeing my child this way. I came closer and Vincent lifted Leon over into my arms, where he clamped on like a clam on a rock, crying louder.

"I didn't mean it, mom… Honestly, I didn't mean it!"

I kept on patting his back as I held him, trying my best to calm him down.

"What happened?" I repeated, looking over at the elderly man in front of me. It was the principal of the small school Leon and Luna attended, recently built on the outskirts of Nibelheim. He sighed.

"Leon was playing with the other kids from his class on the plains. We had a field trip. The other children were, again, bullying him for being tiny, and I told them to stop and include him in the games. They allowed him in but the bullying started again. Eventually he was circled in by the others and before I could intervene…"

I glared. "Go on"

"He transformed into… something, and attacked the children. Two of them are barely clinging to life right now because of him"

In my shock I nearly dropped my child to the ground. Leon sobbed even louder now, reaching hysterical.

He had transformed?

I looked over at Vincent. His gaze was hard and without emotion, but it was evident what he was thinking.

"What did he… transform into?" Vincent asked.

The principal shook his head. "It happened too fast, but it was some kind of beast. All I could make out was the purple hide and white mane"

He might as well have punched me in the face. From the description it was evident. Leon had turned into a Galian Beast. My son, 8 years old, had transformed to protect himself and in the process nearly murdered several of his classmates. It was the same abilities as his father. This couldn't be happening.

At this exact moment, Luna arrived home from her class. Noticing the commotion, she came over to my side, staring intently at her crying brother in my arms.

"Mom, what's happened?"

I shook my head slightly, sending her a reassuring look.

"I'm sorry Luna, but it will have to wait"

"It was over quickly and Leon transformed back after just a few seconds." The principal continued. "Otherwise I assure you we wouldn't be here just to speak with you. I do realize that he is at the age where they start to develop their Limit Skills, but this is far from normal. This is dangerous"

"Your whole family isn't… normal"

This time it was the mayor of Nibelheim, who emerged from the crowds to take the word.

"Just look at _her_" He pointed a condescending finger at my eldest child, like she was some sort of filthy mutt on the street.

"That _thing_ isn't normal either. Who knows what damage she'll be able to do in time"

I struggled immensely to refrain from punching his face. However, as I saw Luna's eyes tear up at the harsh words directed at her, I instinctively took a step to the side, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her in between me and Vincent to make her feel safer. She looked from her father to me, confusion and sadness evident in her eyes.

"Have I done something wrong…?" she asked, voice breaking. Hearing Luna sob brought Vincent out of his trance and he held out his arm to pull her towards his body.

"No Luna, don't worry" he said silently, petting her head. She held onto his leg, shedding soundless tears onto the fabric of his trousers.

"Do you have to speak so harshly to her? She's just a child" Vincent said, voice tainted with disdain. The mayor scoffed, completely brushing his argument off.

"That girl is supposed to be twelve years old but is still half the size of the others girls her age… who knows what she is! Now that this has happened with Leon, our suspicions are confirmed. There is something wrong with you and your family. We know nothing about what he or Luna can be capable of in enraged or pressured. Or what any of you can be for that matter…"

He sent us a suspicious glare. Vincent looked even paler than usual.

"The villagers and I have had enough. We can't risk anything like this happening again. For the sake of protecting our small town, this is the only thing we can do. We hope you understand and pray for the children to make it through"

He handed Vincent the piece of paper he was holding. Vincent read slowly, without even blinking. After he was done, he bowed his head to the crowds.

"I am truly sorry for what we have caused you. We won't be any trouble anymore"

He handed me the paper before turning around, walking back towards the house with swift steps and Luna under his arm. I stared down at the single, short page in my hands. My stomach sank.

It was a declaration, expelling us from Nibelheim.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the length of this, I'll make the rest of the chapters way shorter. x3  
It has really been a while since I last frolicked here on with all you lovely members out there. I have been stuck with personal writing projects for the past years but, out of nowhere, had a few ideas for a sequel for this story. So I'll do my best to finish this up but I won't rush, so please do hang in there if it drags on a bit. Thank you so much to all of you who has enjoyed my first story. I really do hope you will enjoy this sequel as well. ~Crimson Heaven


	2. Chapter 2 - Diagnosis

Chapter 2

Tifa

And with that, everything was over. We moved a few days later, back to Edge and the bar as we had nowhere else to go. Luckily they took us in without questions and long days blended into each other. Both Leon and Luna were brought in for several medical tests, along with their father. Days turned to weeks and eventually, we were called in for results. As I sat beside my husband in the sterile hospital office, I had no idea what to expect. Vincent's expression suggested he felt the same way.

"So" the doctor started, pushing his spectacles closer to his forehead. He had just received our file from a nearby clinic and together they had processed the results.

"Let's recap a bit. I need to make sure everything matches up"

He turned his eyes towards Vincent, who instantly straightened up in his seat.

"You were experimented on during your youth, correct?"

Vincent nodded.

"Do you know for how long the experiments went on?"

"No. They started when I was 27. Beyond that I do not know"

"What research was done on you?"

"I was shot and used as a test subject by Professor Hojo of Shinra. Mako and possibly Jenova cells, but I am not sure. What he did to me I'm not sure of either but when I woke it was easy to tell that I was different from before, even if he deemed me an "failed experiment"

"How so?"

"I woke up in a body different than my own. Whatever Hojo did to me, it made me able to transform into different beasts. It completely replaced my old Limit skills, which I no longer can recall what was. When I changed, I would lose most control of myself but I have regained a lot of control during the later years"

"How long ago was this?"

I looked over at Vincent in pity. How many times did he have to recite this over and over again to different people? I knew it was painful for him.

"Forty years or so"

The doctor raised an eyebrow, although almost unnoticed.

"And how old are you now?"

"76"

The doctor kept his stern gaze while peeking into the notes in front of him, comparing the story with the results.

"There is no reason not to believe your claim" he said, looking back up at us.

"Our tests support it. Your body is aging, but not changing, so telling your real age was the easy part. The harder part is understanding what caused it, but I am afraid that is way beyond what we can do at the current time. What we can tell however, is that Professor Hojo's alterations aren't physical in the way we first thought"

Vincent straightened up in his chair again. He looked extremely worn out. I reached out to touch his hand and he clenched around it tightly.

"What exactly does that mean?"

The words came swiftly and effortlessly.

"It's genetic. Your genes are altered, not your physique. Whatever Hojo did to you changed your DNA and genetic building blocks so drastically that calling you a human would be incorrect."

His expression changed and he looked over at me.

"This is why your children are affected as well. The physical growth of the youngest is slow at best, while in your daughter it has come to a complete halt. They have inherited your genes Mr. Valentine, both transformation abilities and long lifespan. You can prepare to have them around for a very long time"

It took a few moments for us to let this new information sink in. When I married Vincent and we eventually decided to start a family, this possibility wasn't even close to crossing my mind. After the shock had subsided, I managed to take the word.

"What can we do about the transformation process?"

His eyes trailed from me to Vincent, who still held onto my hand. His expression was impossible to read.

"You, Mr. Valentine, must teach them. This may sound harsh but you might need to build a safety cage somewhere for the moments where they do transform and work on restrain and self-control. If you lose control over them they can do a whole lot of damage and even hurt people. Right now they don't know what they are doing so you have to be careful"

Vincent nodded in understanding. I tried to picture my children thrashing about in a steel cage, but the thought became far too terrifying.

"Do you have full control over your transformation Mr. Valentine?"

Vincent nodded. "I can transform at will, yes"

"And the file mentions several monsters you were able to transform into. How many can you transform into now?"

"Only one. I don't know why but it's the only one I'm able to do"

"And said transformation is the mythical Galian Beast, yes?"

Vincent nodded again. It was clear he was tired of the same routine, over and over. Now he knew they were just asking questions they already knew the answer to.

"Yes. The same as my children"

"Then I suggest that whenever they do transform, lock both of you inside the cage and transform along with them. It will be easier for them to see you as one of them and you'll probably restrain them easier"

"So training can be done in beast form?" I asked.

The doctor nodded.

"Actually it is preferable if you try that out first. As they get easier to deal with and learn to control themselves to some extent, you can go back to tutor them as humans. Until that time, I would advise you Tifa to leave this job to Vincent. It is far too dangerous for a human, even with the reputation and experience you have"

Vincent nodded in agreement.

"No my wife will be left out. I'll make sure"

I felt my stomach sink. I would be… left out? Left out of what? Raising our children? While I knew well that what they said was probably true, it still left me feeling helpless. While I was happy with a diagnosis and possible treatment for my children, I was still trying to comprehend the extent of what all of this meant. While happy knowing Vincent would have our children around for a very long lifespan, I was still depressed about the fact that I would die so soon in comparison. I would probably not even live to see them grow into young adults.

I walked back to 7th Heaven alone that night, deeply immersed in my own thoughts. Was this fate something I had to accept or… was there something that could be done about it?

I knew whatever I might end up doing could go drastically wrong, but the more I thought about it, the more determined I became.

If there was a way, I would find it, no matter the cost.

* * *

Author's Note:

So here's chapter 2 after a short delay. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to finish up number 3, but I'll get it done as soon as I find time for it. Most of this so far have been for introduction and the story will pick up from this point on. Thank you so much all my faithful readers, your feedback really means a lot to me!

~CrimsonHeaven


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